Door



July 25, 19.67 T. MADLAND 3,332,163

DOOR

Original Filed March 19, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 NVENTOR.

(725/ a 3 ATTORNEYS,

July 25, 1967 Original Filed March 19, 1964 T. MADLAND DOOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGS INVENTOR. THORVALD MADLAND BY A TORNEYS V July 25, 1967 T. MADLAND 3,332,168

DOOR

Original Filed March 1.9, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR. THORVALD MAD LAN D ATTORNEYS T. MADLAND July 25, 1967 DOOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. THORVALD MADLAND ATTORNEYS Original Filed March 19, 1964 United States Patent DOOR Thorvald Madland, Arlington Heights, 11]., assignor to Youngstown Steel Door Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Continuation of application Ser. No. 353,166, Mar. 19, 1964. This application Jan. 28, 1966, Ser. No. 530,759 Claims. (Cl. 49220) This application is a continuation of my co-pending application Ser. No. 353,166, filed Mar. 19, 1964.

This invention relates to railroad car doors and, more particularly, to an operating mechanism whereby a railroad car door may be operated either from outside the railroad car or from inside the car.

In the customary operation of plug doors, the cranks supporting the door and applying closing pressure are actuated by pipes or rods connected to the levers on the front face or outer surface of the door. When the levers are actuated in a direction toward the door and clamped in this position, a closing force is applied to seat the gasket on the door in the door opening and hold the door closed. When the levers are released and rotated in a direction away from the face of the door, the cranks move the door outward so that it will clear the car side and may be slid out of the opening and longitudinally of the car along appropriate car tracks.

In the open position, to maintain control of the door, it is necessary that the cranks be locked in relation to the door so that as the door is being moved longitudinally of the car, the cranks are not inadvertently rotated and thereby cause the door to re-engage with the side of the car. a

It is conventional practice in the railroad industry to provide a seal for the car after the car has been loaded and the door has been closed. This seal ordinarily takes the form of a metal clip of some sort which is engaged with the operating handle so that the handle may not be rotated without breaking the seal.

Due to the increase in the demand for economy in material handling techniques, a demand has arisen for a railroad car plug door which is operable from either the inside or outside of the car so that one who is unloading a car from one door may, without dismounting from the car, open the other door and proceed to unload the contents of a car through that door.

It is the primary purpose of this invention to provide a plug door which is operable from either inside or outside of the car, irrespective of whether the car has been sealed.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a novel mechanism for operating the pipes normally found on the car door. g

It is another object of this invention to provide an operating handle which may be rotated from either inside or outside of the car door.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a sealing fork which cooperates with the operating handle in a manner to seal the car door, which seal may be broken from the interior of the car.

Each of these objects, as well as others which will become more apparent upon a complete reading of the following description, is accomplished by the provision of a conventional plug door which includes rotatable pipes and cranks which support the door for rolling movement on tracks on the railroad car. The cranks provide support for the lateral movement of the door into and out of the door opening. In conjunction with the rotatable cranks are a plurality of locking fingers which are associated with the operating mechanism for the cranks. This operating mechanism comprises a shaft which extends through the door with an operating lever secured to the Patented July 25, 1967 'ice end of the shaft on the exterior of the door. Gear means are journaled on the shaft, which gear means mesh with segmental gears rotatably secured on the car door. A linkage extends from the segmental gears to the pipes whereby upon rotation of the segmental gears, a corresponding rotation is imparted to the pipes thereby laterally displacing the car door from the door opening. The gears further support a plate cam which engages a cam follower pivotally supported on the door. The cam follower actuates horizontally moving locking fingers so that through the single gear means operated by the operating lever, the pipes are not only rotated but the locking fingers are reciprocated. The end of the shaft extending through the door into the interior of the car includes drive means whereby the operating lever and its associated gear mechanism may be rotated from the interior of the car.

Pivotally mounted on the car door adjacent the operating lever is a sealing fork which is movable between a first position, wherein the fork extends into the path of rotation of the lever and thereby restrains operation of the operating mechanism, and a second position, wherein the fork is pivoted to a position clear of the lever, and the door may be operated as above described. The sealing fork is journaled in a housing which is mounted on the outer surface of the door, and includes an opening through the door whereby access from the interior of the car is provided into the fork housing. A socket is provided on the fork shaft so that the fork may be pivoted between the aforesaid two positions from the inside of the car.

In conjunction with the above-described operating mechanism, there is included a novel means whereby the latching mechanism is controlled by the gear means so that the latches or locking fingers are coordinated with the operation of the pipes and cranks.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the following description sets forth in detail one approved means of carrying out the invention. Such disclosed means are not meant to be limiting inasmuch as it constitutes but one of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be applied.

In the drawings wherein like reference numerals indicate like parts in the various views:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view showing the invention as it is incorporated in the railroad car door;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view taken along 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial front elevational view of a portion of the operating mechanism showing a modification of the sealing fork;

FIG. 5 is a view taken along 5-5 of FIG. 4 showing the modified sealing fork;

FIG. 6 is a view taken along 66 of FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6a is a view which is co-extensive with FIG. 6 and illustrates the locking fingers as they are engaged with the side of the railroad car.

Turning to FIG. 1, there is illustrated the invention as it is incorporated on what is substantially a conventional plug door. The numeral 10 designates one side wall of a conventional railroad car with a door opening 11 formed in the side wall. A laterally movable door, generally indicated by the reference numeral 12, is adapted to be received in the door opening.

The particular construction of the door may vary, but, as illustrated in FIG. 2, the door includes at least a sheath 13 and sealing gaskets 14 which are adapted to cooperate with the edges of the door opening to provide a seal when the door is closed.

To move the door laterally out of the door opening 11 for longitudinal movement along the side wall 10 upon the tracks 15, there are provided spaced apart, parallel,

vertical pipes 16 and 17. Each of the pipes 16, 17 is rotatably secured on the exterior of the door 12 by appropriate brackets 18, 19, 20 and 21. Secured to the upper end of the pipes 16, 17 are cranks 22 and 23 respectively. The cranks 22, 23 extend upwardly behind a retainer 24, and are provided with rollers 25 which guide the door in its longitudinal movement and retain the top of the door in the proper position relative to the car. Secured to the lower end of each of the pipes 16, 17 are cranks 26, 27 respectively, with each of the cranks being journaled in roller hangers 28 mounted upon the track 15 thereby to facilitate the sliding movement of the door.

It is believed to be obvious that upon rotation of the pipes 16, 17 the cranks will serve to withdraw the door laterally from the door opening thereby placing the door in a position to be displaced longitudinally of the railroad car. In this position it is, of course, important that the cranks are prevented from further rotation since when the door is being displaced longitudinally of the car, any rotation of the cranks would tend to re-engage the door with the side wall of the car and thereby obstruct the opening movement.

Control of the pipes and cranks is accomplished by an operating mechanism, indicated generally by the reference numeral 30. This mechanism includes a clevis 31 which is secured intermediate the ends of the pipe 16 and a corresponding clevis 32 secured in similar fashion on pipe 17. Rods 33 and 34 are pivotally connected to the clevises 31, 32 respectively, so that upon longitudinal movement of the rods, rotation is imparted to each of the pipes, 16, 17.

Turning to FIG. 3 there illustrated a plate 35 which is secured to the exterior surface of the door 12..A shaft 36 is journeled at one end in a bushing 37 in an opening in the plate 35. The other end of the shaft 36 is journaled in a bushing 38 which is received in an opening in a bracket 39 mounted on the exterior of the door behind the plate 35. An opening 40 is provided in the sheath 13 thereby rendering accessible the inner end of the shaft 36 from the interior of the car. This inner end of the shaft 36 includes a socket 41 which is adapted to receive a wrench and thereby permit rotation of the shaft 36 from the interior of the car.

Secured to the exterior end of the shaft 36 is an operating lever 42. A gear 43 is connected by a key 44 to the shaft 36 so that upon rotation of the shaft 36, a corresponding rotation is imparted to the gear 43. The gear is received intermediate the ends of the shaft 36 and is located between the plate 35 and the bracket 39. Disposed on opposite sides of the gear 43 are segmental gears 45 and 46 which are journaled by pins 47 and 48 respectively between the plate 35 and the bracket 39. One end of the rod 33 is secured by a pin 49 to an extension or arm 45a of the segmental gear 45. In similar fashion the corresponding end of the rod 34 is secured by a pin 50 to an extension or arm 46a of the segmental gear 46.

It is believed to be readily apparent that upon rotation of the segmental gears 45 and 46 about their respective pivot points 47, 48 a corresponding longitudinal movement will be imparted to the rods, 33, 34, which will result in rotation of the pipes, 16, 17, as described above. A stop pin 51 is supported by the plate 35 and provides an abutment surface against which the segmental gear 46 will abut to limit rotation of the operating mechanism. As shown in FIG. 4, the longitudinal axes of the rods 33, 34 are aligned with the centers of rotation 47, 48 of the two gears as well as the pins 49, 50 so that the pipes are effectively in a locked position when the door is closed.

Spaced below the operating mechanism 30 on the exterior of the door is a sealing fork, indicated generally by the reference numeral 52 in FIG. 3. This sealing fork comprises spaced apart arms or lugs 53 which are adapted to be received on either side of the operating lever 42 when aligned therewith. The fork is secured to a shaft 54 which is journaled in a fork housing 55 secured to the exterior surface of the door 12. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the fork 52 may be pivoted between a first position wherein the arms 53 embrace the lever 42 and effectively restrain the rotation of the operating lever, and a second position which is illustrated in dotted lines in FIG. 3 wherein the arms 53 are removed from the path of rotation of the lever 42, and the lever is free to be rotated in operating the car door.

To control the position of the arms 53 there is provided a lug 56 on the inner end of the fork, which lug 56 cooperates with a corresponding lug 57 fixed to the door thereby restraining the range of pivotal movement available for the sealing fork.

An aperture 58 is formed in the outer end of each of the arms of the fork with the apertures being adapted to receive the conventional seal ordinarily used in sealing a railroad car.

When it is desired to operate the operating lever 42 from the exterior of the car, the operator merely manually pivots the fork 52 to a position wherein the arms 53 are as illustrated in FIG. 3.

To facilitate the operation of the door from the interior of the car, the housing 55 includes an extended portion 59 which is aligned with an opening 60 formed in the sheath 13. The combination of the opening 60 and the extension 59 provides an area wherein a wrench may be received over the socketed end 61 of the shaft 54 so that the fork 52 may be pivoted to the dotted line position shown in FIG. 3.

Completing the door combination, there is provided a plurality of horizontally movable locking fingers 65, 66 which are engageable with keepers 67 and 68 on the side walls of the railroad car. To control the horizontal movement of these fingers, there is provided an actuating bar 69 which, in conjunction with a plurality of bellcrank levers, serves to retract or extend the locking fingers.

The particular arrangement of the bell cranks and locking fingers is illustrated and discussed in the patent to Beauchamp, No. 2,975,490, issued Mar. 21, 1961, and it is believed that this description, which is incorporated by reference herein, is adequate for purposes of this dis- .closure.

To impart a vertical reciprocating motion to the actuating bar 69 and thereby control the movement of the locking fingers, there is included in the combination a plate cam, generally indicated at 70, with the plate cam being operatively connected with the segmental gear 46 so that as the segmental gear rotates, so also, the plate cam will rotate about the pin 48. The plate cam cooperates with a cam crank or follower 71 which is journaled on a pin 72. The crank cooperates with the plate cam 70 such that as the cam rotates, the cam cooperates with the crank to pivot the crank about the pin 72 and, inasmuch as the crank is secured to the lower end of the vertical bar 69, a vertical movement is imparted to the bar. This vertical motion is transformed into horizontal longitudinal movement of the locking fingers thereby controlling the latching of the car door.

The operation of the mechanism described is as follows: Assuming the door to be in the position illustrated in FIG. 1, an operator who is on the exterior of the railroad car would pivot the sealing fork 52 to a position wherein the operating lever 42 was free to rotate. Upon rotation of the operating lever 42, a corresponding rotation would be imparted to the segmental gears 45, 46 which would, through rods 33, 34, rotate the pipes 16,

. 17 to withdraw the door laterally from the door opening.

Simultaneous with the rotation of the segmental gear 46 is the rotation of the plate 70 which, by cooperation with the cam crank 71, causes a vertical movement of the actuating bar 69. This vertical movement of the bar 69, through the bell cranks, causes a horizontal movement of the locking fingers 65, 66 which Withdraws the fingers from their respective keepers 67, 68 and permits the withdrawal of the door from the door opening.

When the door is in the withdrawn position, the sealing fork 52 may be returned to a position wherein it reengages the operating lever 42 and thereby effectively locks the cranks 22, 23, 26 and 27 in the withdrawn position. In this condition the door may be displaced longitudinally of the railroad car to expose the door opening. By providing the sealing fork so that it may be re-engaged with the operating lever 42, the possibility of the cranks being rotated inadvertently during displacement of the door along the track 15 is obviated, and the operator need not be concerned with the possible re-engagement of the door with the side of the railroad car. To close the door the reverse operation is employed- Assuming the operator is within the car and the door is in the position illustrated in FIG. 1, the operator would place a socket wrench on the socket 61 of the sealing fork shaft 54, and rotate the arms of the fork to a position wherein the lever 42 is free to be operated. If the car door has been sealed, the rotation of the forks to the position above described would serve to rupture the seal and permit the operating of the lever 42.

With the sealing 'fork in the released position, the wrench would be placed on the socket 41 of the shaft 36, and the gear 43 would be rotated thereby to effect opening of the door in the above-described manner. Once the door has been displaced laterally from the door opening, the sealing fork 52 may be re-engaged with the lever 42 to lock the cranks in position, and the door may then be displaced longitudinally of the car to expose the door opening.

A somewhat modified design of the operating mechanism for the sealing fork is illustrated in FIG. 4 Wherein the segmental gears are utilized as above described. The sealing fork arrangement of FIG. 4 which is illustrated with greater specificity in FIG. 5 eliminates the necessity for a fork housing 55 such as that illustrated in FIG. 3. With the shaft 54 journaled in the door behind the plate 35, an aperture is provided in the sheath 13 so that access may be had to the socket 61 on the end of the shaft 54'. The sealing fork includes arms '53 similar in configuration to the embodiment of FIG. 1 with a lug 56' adapted to engage the door to limit the rotation of the sealing fork. 3

Additional modifications and changes will suggest themselves to those having ordinary skill in the art. Changes such as these are contemplated by the principles of this invention so that although for ease of description, the principles of the invention have been set forth in connection with but a few illustrated embodiments, it is not intended that these illustrated embodiments or the terminology employed in describing them is to be limiting, but rather it is my desire to be restricted only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An operating mechanism for a railroad car door comprising:

a pair of spaced apart rotatable pipes secured to said door;

crank means on the ends of said pipes for supporting said door for sliding movement along a railroad car and lateral movement into and out of the door opening in a railroad car;

a shaft rotatably mounted on said door with one end of said shaft projecting from the plane of said door; an operating lever secured to said one end of said shaft;

a gear carried by said shaft for rotation therewith;

gear means rotatably mounted on said door adjacent to said gear and in meshing engagement therewith; rod means extending between said gear means and each of said pipes;

means connecting said rod means to said gear means;

means connecting said rod means with said pipes;

said gear means including cam means formed thereon;

follower means supported on said door and being in engagement with said cam means;

a plurality of locking fingers slidably supported on said door; and

means interconnecting said follower means with said locking fingers.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein the plane of rotation of said gear means is parallel to the plane of said door; I

said rod means extending in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said door.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said rod means are connected to said gear means at a point spaced from the center of rotation of said gear means;

the longitudinal axis of said rod means being aligned with said center of rotation and said connection point in one position of said operating lever.

4. An operating mechanism for a railroad car door comprising:

a pair of rotatable pipes secured to said door;

crank means on the ends of said pipes for supporting said door for sliding movement along a railroad car and lateral movement into and out of the door opening in the car;

a shaft rotatably mounted on said door with one end of said shaft projecting externally of the door and the other end of said shaft bein-g accessible from the interior of the railroad car;

an operating lever secured to said one end of said shaft;

a gear carried by said shaft;

gear means rotatably mounted on said door adjacent to said gear and in meshing engagement therewith;

rod means extending between said gear means and each of said pipes;

a sealing fork pivotally mounted on said door adjacent the path of rotation of said lever;

said sealing fork including means adapted to embrace said lever in one position thereof whereby said lever is restrained from rotation.

5. An operating mechanism for a railroad car door comprising:

a pair of spaced apart rotatable pipes secured to said door;

crank means on the ends of said pipes for supporting said door for sliding movement along a railroad car and lateral movement into and out of the door opening in the car;

a shaft rotatably mounted on said door;

an operating lever secured to said one end of said shaft;

a gear carried by said shaft;

gear means rotatably mounted on said door adjacent to said gear and in meshing engagement therewith;

rod means extending between said gear means and each of said pipes;

means connecting said rod means to said gear means and said pipes;

a sealing fork pivotally carried by said door adjacent said lever;

said sealing fork including a pair of spaced apart arms adapted to embrace said lever and being movable between a first position wherein said lever is restrained from rotation by said arms and a second position wherein said arms are displaced from the path of rotation of said lever;

said sealing fork further including drive means formed thereon and an opening formed in said door adjacent said sealing fork whereby said drive means on said fork is accessible from the opposite side of the door.

6. An operating mechanism for a railroad car door comprising:

a pair of spaced apart rotatable pipes secured to said door;

crank means on the ends of said pipes for supporting said door for sliding movement along a railroad car and lateral movement into and out of the door opening in the car;

a shaft rotatably mounted on said door;

an operating lever secured to said one end of said shaft;

a gear carried by said shaft;

gear means rotatably mounted on said door adjacent to said gear and in meshing engagement therewith;

rod means interconnecting said gear means with said an opening formed in said door adjacent said lever;

a housing on said door adjacent said lever enclosing said opening;

a pivot shaft supported on said door with one end thereof extending into the interior of said housing;

a sealing fork pivotally supported on said pivot shaft;

said sealing fork including a pair of spaced apart arms adapted to embrace said lever with said fork being movable between a first position wherein said lever is restrained from rotation by said arms and a second position wherein said arms are displaced from the path of rotation of said lever;

said one end of said pivot shaft having drive means formed thereon whereby said sealing fork may be actuated from the opposite side of said door to displace said fork between said first and second positions.

7. In a railroad car having a door opening in at least one wall thereof;

a railroad car door having a pair of vertically extending rotatable pipes secured thereto;

crank means on either end of each of said pipes;

supporting means on the car in engagement with said crank means to support said door for lateral movement into and out of the door opening;

a plurality of locking fingers slidably supported on said door and adapted to retain the door in the door open- 3;

operating means carried by said door operable to rotate said pipes and actuate said fingers;

said operating means including a shaft and a manually operable handle secured thereto rotatably supported on said door;

drive means on said shaft;

linkage means extending between said drive means and said pipes;

second linkage means interconnecting said drive means with said locking fingers;

means interconnecting said first linkage means with said drive means and said pipes;

said interconnecting means retaining said first linkage means in engagement with said drive means throughout the opening movements of said door. 8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said second linkage means includes cam means comprising gear means having a camming surface formed thereon;

said drive means comprising a gear on said shaft and in meshing engagemen-t with said gear means;

follower means supported on said door and in engagement with said camming surface on said gear means; and

means interconnecting said follower means with said locking fingers.

9. The combination of claim 8 wherein said first linkage means includes rod means and said interconnecting means pivotally connected at one end to said gear means and at the other end to said pipes.

10. The combination of claim 8 wherein said follower means comprises:

a bell crank pivotally supported intermediate its ends on said door; one arm of said bell crank being in engagement with said camming surface; bar means connected to the other arm of said bell crank;

and means interconnecting said bar means with said locking fingers whereby movement of said bar means imparts a corresponding sliding movement to said locking fingers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,049,069 12/1912 Fish 292-39 2,629,901 3/1953 Madland 49-220 2,842,809 7/1958 Shaver 49-220 2,879,558 3/1959 Soddy 49-219 X 2,975,490 3/1961 Beauchamp 40-220 DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner.

HARRISON R. MOSELEY, KENNETH DOWNEY,

Examiners.

A. I. BREIER, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN OPERATING MECHANISM FOR A RAILROAD CAR DOOR COMPRISING: A PAIR OF SPACED APART ROTATABLE PIPES SECURED TO SAID DOOR, CRANK MEANS ON THE ENDS OF SAID PIPES FOR SUPPORTING SAID DOOR FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT ALONG A RAILROAD CAR AND LATERAL MOVEMENT INTO AND OUT OF THE DOOR OPENING IN A RAILROAD CAR; A SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID DOOR WITH ONE END OF SAID SHAFT PROJECTING FROM THE PLANE OF SAID DOOR; AN OPERATING LEVER SECURED TO SAID ONE END OF SAID SHAFT; A GEAR CARRIED BY SAID SHAFT FOR ROTATION THEREWITH; GEAR MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTED ON SAID DOOR ADJACENT TO SAID GEAR AND IN MESHING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH; ROD MEANS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID GEAR MEANS AND EACH OF SAID PIPES; 